Growing up I try all sorts of sports and activities. I would do some for a short time (maybe a day or two), others I would do for years. The bottom line was that no matter what I tried, nothing kept my interest. Now been a parent myself and my eldest child going to “big” soon, I thought I should do a bit of research and save myself tons of money.

Twenty million kids register each year for youth hockey, football, baseball, soccer, and other competitive sports. The National Alliance for Sports reports that 70 percent of these kids quit playing these league sports by age 13 — and never play them again.

According to Michael Pfahl, executive director of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association, “The number one reason (why they quit) is that it stopped being fun.” With figures like these, it’s time we rethink how we present youth sports to kids.

With that in mind, here are some key points to remember about your kids playing sports.

Preschool
Focus on the element of play in any sports activity you introduce to very young kids. Make it fun! Don’t burden them or concern them with competition, keeping score, and rules. Get them running, kicking, throwing, catching … and laughing. Use equipment that suits their bodies and coordination levels (toss a beanbag instead of a ball). Adapt games according to their abilities. Always offer encouraging words for all their efforts.

Elementary school
Sports psychology expert Rick Wolff, author of Good Sports, stresses that parents of kids ages 5-12 need not be concerned with their child’s excellence at such refined sports skills as corner kicks and drag bunts. “Those are unimportant,” Wolf advises. “The key here is having your child develop a sense of passion for the sport.”

Parents and coaches need to be aware of what kids can accomplish at their differing developmental levels — physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. Don’t make unrealistic expectations concerning your child’s sports performance — be it in the area of muscle coordination, dedication, or attention span. Many kids lose their passion for youth sports during these years because they feel they can’t live up to their parents’ and coaches’ expectations.

Middle school
Kids start dropping out in big numbers at this stage. Playing sports loses its enjoyment for them and “fun” takes a back seat to winning. Pick-up games and just “playing for fun” should be encouraged. The key at this vulnerable stage is to keep them playing the sports they enjoy — if not on school or youth teams, then informally with friends. Not being on a team does not mean they have failed as athletes. It just means that they have to find other pleasurable ways to continue enjoying their sports.

High school
By this stage, it’s usually the successful high-school athletes who play both school sports and outside competitive-league sports. There are just so many positions to be filled on competitive teams. But what about kids who still love to play sports but can’t because of their demanding academic, social, and work lives? Parents need to remind these kids of the fun they had playing these games and help them to find time to play them with family members and friends. Helping your kids stay connected to the sports they love now can encourage them to remain physically active throughout their lives.

http://www.notmartha.org – run by Megan, this site has light-hearted feel to crafting. Easy crafts with great photos and clear instructions, I’m in love with Megan’s Christmas tree!

http://www.mental-health-matters.com – a helpful site for me – it gave me good ideas on how to calm down my worked up 4-year-old. Also made me feel normal, that I’m not completely useless at this parenting thing.

http://happychildfoundation.co.za – an organisation based in South Africa – they fundraise, feed and uplift communities. All with the help of their Happy Bars. They need help to get their foundation funding to continue their work.

http://www.4akid.co.za – great safety products for kiddies. They have been very generous over the last year with donations of presents and party pack items for birthdays and Christmas.

http://www.safecosmetics.org – delicious diy beauty and makeup recipes. So easy to use and something you can do with your sisters, daughters and friends. Make a party of it!

http://www.rockyheath.co.za/ – a local lass, a friend of my sister-in-law. Rocky does beautiful photos of pets as well as photos at our local SPCA of those needing homes. There is a scruffy one and a basset hound that are nudging my heart!

http://eatmytreats.blogspot.com – oh how I would love to meet Lauren. She makes such gorgeous cakes and she also is super nice and puts her recipes on the blog. With Lauren’s help I will be making my son”s “How to train your dragon”4th birthday cake. I’m going to make the fondant and modeling chocolate myself – watch this space for updates on how well it turns out 🙂

There are a few things in my life that have made life easier and more fun. If you think I’m completely crazy, I don’t blame you, but it is the simple things that make me a happy, happy mommy!

My Russel-Hobbs bread maker

My dishwasher

A butterfly mop

Watching Take Home Nanny

Dr Christopher Green’s Toddler Taming

Old plastic ice cream containers

Masking tape

Hand-me-down fabric, linen and home decor

A bedtime routine, every day of the week

A week-day morning routine

Doing the day’s washing every evening

Linen the same colour as the bedrooms for each of the room

And learning to be more strict with the “Before you leave a room, tidy it”rule

This might help someone, after watching some episodes of Take Home Nanny, I can’t help but feel like we are doing something right with our kids. Although I still find the whining very annoying and it works on my nerves to no end.

I’ll be hosting a beading craft session for kiddies on Thursday, 16th December 2010 at the King”s Mall in Gonubie!

Bring your kiddies, relax and have some tea while your children are occupied and been stimulated in a safe environment. Entrance is R20.00 for kiddies with juice and a snack. To book call Christie on 082 378 3213.

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You can’t beat the ‘Eco-Chic’ Bio-Baba nappy for versatility! 10 Good Reasons to choose Bio-Baba Nappies

1. Bio-Baba nappies are the most versatile cloth nappy on the market – they are the only nappy that can be used for everyday, night time, swimming AND potty training! (So you don’t have to pay for separate waterproofs, swim nappies or potty training pants!!!)

The all-in-one design (nappy, liner and waterproof so no separate time-wasting procedures when fitting) has wide-band Velcro for a snug fit; smart-fit tabs which stop the Velcro picking up lint during washing; multi-padding with hemp for super absorbency and breathable fun-coloured outers. (Also white for more conventional mums!) Available in Blue, Yellow, Red, White & Pink.

2. The hemp used in the removable ‘Booster Pad’ does all the hard work of the nappy. So, instead of the waterproof doing the hard work (which it does in other cloth nappies), this pad absorbs all the wetness, wicking it away from babies skin.

Hemp is recognized as one of the world’s strongest natural fibres – the more you wash it – the more absorbent it becomes! It also has anti-bacterial qualities and uses no pesticides in its growth. As the hemp is so absorbent, it means that the Super-Slim Bio-Baba is not bulky and dries well.

3. You will be saving a great deal of money – Considering that a baby will on average have 5,500 nappy changes, that equates to between R 12,000 and R 15,000. By using the Bio-Baba nappy you could easily save R10 000 (including water, electricity and detergent for washing).

4. You will also be saving time which comes at a premium these days! Because of the all-in-one design of the super-absorbent nappy, you will not spend ages fitting it together and will also need fewer nappy changes because of the super-absorbent hemp.

5. There are numerous health issues: the first is the use of Sodium polyacrylate gel can absorb 100 times its weight in liquid and makes for a very absorbent nappy! However, it has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome in tampon use and is no longer used in their manufacture. It is still used in disposables.

Also, the lack of padding in disposable nappies is considered a hazard when baby is learning to walk and falling on his/her bottom on a regular basis. Some paediatric specialists believe that the increase in hip dysplasia and other spinal injuries is related to the lack of padding and support provided by disposables. Extra padding in the Bio-Baba nappies reduces this risk.

6. The Environment – If you have a baby in disposable nappies in your home, your household waste doubles! • In 2½years in disposable nappies a baby will have:

 used 325kg of plastic

 20 trees worth of paper

 produced 1 tonne of landfill space •

Disposable nappies are the world’s 3rd biggest waste contributor behind newspapers at No.1 and containers/packaging for food. Your household is no different… approx. 350 million are thrown away annually in SA, 9 million a day in the UK and 20 billion a year in the US and Canada…they do not bio-degrade!

7. Comfort – The Bio-Baba nappy is extremely comfortable. You will simply not find a better cloth nappy; they have been specifically designed to wick moisture away from the babies’ skin, meaning that even though the baby may have an extremely wet nappy, the baby itself is dry.

Moreover, careful fabric choices such as soft 100% cotton, hemp with anti-bacterial qualities and breathable outers have been used to ensure maximum comfort.

8. Toilet Training – children in real nappies DO toilet train, on average, around 6 months earlier than their peers in disposables: a child in real nappies knows when they are wet, and so makes the connection between bladder release and a wet nappy. It is this which is the vital first step in toilet training. Bio-Baba nappies are excellent nappies for potty training.

9. Bio-Baba nappies come in fun bright primary colours; Red, Blue and Yellow as well as a white. The best teaching moments are ones that aren’t planned – choosing a different colour nappy is a great way for toddlers to get to grips with their colours. This also means that you do not have to wear anything over the ‘Eco-Chic’ Bio-Baba as the nappies look extremely cool just on their own!

10. Employment – one of the biggest problems faced by South Africa today is a lack of employment. We often have highly skilled, highly educated people unable to find work. Bio-Baba nappies provide work for the communities of Grassy Park, Lotus River, Athlone and Bonteheuwel.

They are not cheap imports and are made with the finest quality South African fabrics.

“MANKIND OWES TO THE CHILD THE BEST IT HAS TO GIVE”… – OPENING WORDS TO THE UN DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD